'How It's Made'

Have you ever thought to yourself, "Gee, if I were ever transported back to medieval times, I'd still be unable to lift myself above serf status because I have no idea how to make a television, a chain saw or a stackable potato chip"? Well, you're not alone -- the folks at Discovery Channel have given this scenario some consideration. How It's Made, airing Wednesdays, details every painstaking step of how things are made just in case you find yourself in 1266 and need to make people think you're a wizard by making a pinball machine. Woo hoo! Let's party!

Setting the scene:
Pretty much everything is made in a factory -- rubber cement, snow globes, volleyball nets -- so go "industrial revolution" in your space. Fill it up with cardboard boxes, pallets, pressure gauges and hoses, and simulate a conveyor belt by using a roll of black paper. Don't forget a whistle for stopping work. Invitations should be printed as schematics for industrial machinery and come with a warning that guests will actually learn something during this party: namely, how to build a robot from an erector set. The Speed Play Intelligent Robot moves and makes sounds and can be controlled via programs downloaded from your computer. It's pretty cool -- but the episode airing during your party might just as easily show how bacon is made.

Attire:
Making stuff requires blue collars and only blue collars. Then again, steel-toed work boots are probably a good idea, also.

On the menu:
This show has a soft spot for menu-related items, so based totally on previously aired episodes feel free to barbecue, and serve cheesecake, stackable potato chips, candy canes and bacon in wooden bowls with paper cups and silver cutlery. For refreshments, consider mixed drinks. People are always fascinated by how they're made.

On the hi-fi:
Allentown by Billy Joel; The Day They Closed the Factory Down by Harry Chapin; Merchandise by Fugazi. Almost anything by Bruce Springsteen and/or John Mellencamp.

The showstopper:
You really want to see how things are made? Head to Michigan. Ford Motor Company features the Ford Rouge Factory Tour, which includes a driving tour of the Henry Ford complex, rare historic footage, a virtual reality experience, an observation deck tour and a final assembly plant walking tour where you get to see where the new F-150s are assembled!